BREAKING:North Korean Soldiers Confirmed Dead in Combat Near Ukraine, Reports U.S.

North Korean troops have reportedly perished in skirmishes against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, according to statements from the United States.

This marks the first reported fatalities involving North Korean soldiers since revelations surfaced in October, suggesting that Pyongyang had deployed approximately 10,000 military personnel to bolster Russia's ongoing war efforts.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Agency (GUR) stated that over the past weekend, at least 30 North Korean troops were either killed or wounded during confrontations. The BBC has yet to independently verify these claims.

Lacking prior battlefield experience, the North Korean troops are believed to have initially undergone training and performed auxiliary roles before transitioning to combat duties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted on Saturday that Russian forces have increasingly relied on a "significant contingent" of North Korean fighters in their operations within Kursk, an area partially seized by Ukraine during a surprise maneuver in August.

During a press briefing on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder affirmed that North Korean soldiers had "actively engaged in combat operations in Kursk alongside Russian forces" and "sustained casualties, both fatal and injurious." While refraining from providing exact figures, Ryder stated that the troops had been engaged for "just over a week."

He further observed that the North Korean forces appeared to be functioning primarily as infantry and were, thus far, confined to engagements in Kursk rather than in Ukraine's interior.

The ongoing conflict, initiated by Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has seen Russian forces concentrating their offensive efforts in the country’s eastern territories in recent months.

According to the GUR, the fatalities among North Korean troops occurred over the weekend in the Kursk villages of Plekhovo, Vorobzha, and Martynovka.

President Zelensky shared drone footage on Telegram on Monday, purportedly depicting North Korean soldiers seeking cover amidst trees, shortly after participating in an assault on Ukrainian positions. In a separate post, Zelensky claimed Russian troops were attempting to obscure the involvement of North Korean forces by using campfires to incinerate the faces of deceased combatants.

"Ukraine's defense and intelligence forces are tirelessly working to ascertain the comprehensive scale of losses incurred by Russian units incorporating North Korean personnel," Zelensky remarked. He emphasized that "there exists no justifiable reason for North Koreans to lose their lives in this war."

The Kremlin has deferred inquiries regarding these deaths to the Russian Ministry of Defense, which has yet to issue any formal comment.

The reported involvement of North Korean troops has elicited sharp criticism from global actors, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and South Korea, all of whom have condemned Pyongyang’s actions as a "perilous escalation with profound implications for European and Indo-Pacific security."

This week, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nine individuals and seven organizations accused of financing and supporting North Korea’s military ventures.